Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Broadcasting: Copyright

lord griffiths of burry port: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of EU Commission proposal 2016/0284, which lays down rules on the exercise of copyright and related rights applicable to certain online transmissions of broadcasting organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes, and its potential impacts on the UK.

lord henley: The proposed regulation under 2016/0284 seeks to extend a “country of origin” principle for copyright clearance to certain online broadcast transmissions (such as catch up services), meaning that rights only have to be cleared once in the country of origin of the service. It also proposes to extend the mandatory collective management of rights to retransmissions of TV and radio programmes delivered over the internet. The Government provided an Explanatory Memorandum to the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee and the House of Lords European Union Committee in October 2016 following publication of the Commission’s proposal. In this it set out how the proposed extension of country of origin principle could benefit consumers by enabling them to receive TV and radio programmes from other EU Member States via services which are currently unavailable – for example, where they miss a programme and cannot access the catch up service. Likewise, UK citizens in other countries may be able to access UK broadcasts. However, many broadcasters and rights holders have concerns that this provision will undermine their ability to license content by territory, which is central to their business models. The Government agrees that the proposal could undermine the principle of freedom to contract by territory, affecting both broadcasters and rights holders. On this basis, the Government opposes the proposed extension unless it protects the freedom to contract by territory robustly.

Broadcasting: Copyright

lord griffiths of burry port: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the responses of the governments of France and Spain to EU Commission proposal 2016/0284, which outlined why they oppose the initiative based on their belief that it would undermine the principle of the territoriality of copyright.

lord henley: The proposed EU regulation under 2016/0284 seeks to apply a “country of origin” principle for copyright clearance to certain online broadcast transmissions (such as catch up services). The governments of France and Spain have made known their opposition to this extension. The Government agrees that the Commission’s proposal could undermine the principle of freedom to contract by territory, affecting both broadcasters and rights holders. On this basis, the Government opposes the proposed extension unless it protects the freedom to contract by territory robustly.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Palestinians

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding reports of recent air strikes conducted by Israeli authorities, leading to the deaths of seven Palestinians; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood of such actions leading to an escalation of tensions in the region.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the reports of the targeting of a tunnel by Israel. We understand that the tunnel was constructed by Palestinian militants and that its destruction was carried out on Israeli territory. The UK supports Israel's right to self-defence. We remain deeply concerned by attempts to rearm and rebuild militant infrastructure, including the tunnel network in Gaza. This activity undermines efforts to improve the situation in Gaza and harms the prospects for peace and stability in the region.

Israel: Palestinians

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospect for improvements in Israeli–Palestinian relations as a result of the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We welcome progression to the reconciliation agreement, which will see the Palestinian Authority (PA) resume administrative control of Gaza, and we are monitoring the situation closely. We are clear that any future Palestinian government must comply with the Quartet Principles: renounce violence, recognise Israel, and accept previously signed agreements. We support the PA, as the legitimate Palestinian leadership, in realising self-determination through an independent, sovereign, and unified Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank and Gaza.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have committed to date to assist the UK Overseas Territories damaged by hurricane Irma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has to date committed £57 million to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of the Overseas Territories that were impacted by Hurricane Irma.

Saudi Arabia: Politics and Government

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent announcement that he intends to return Saudi Arabia to a path of "moderate Islam".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We welcome recent developments under Vision 2030 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, such as the Royal Decree permitting women to drive from June 2018 and the announcement of a new economic city. We recognise HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s comments as part of these changes and we continue to encourage reform in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia: Radicalism

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between (1) reports thatSaudi Arabia funds organisations that promote a Salafist Wahhabist ideology, and (2) the growth of violent extremism.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 12 July, the Home Secretary announced the main findings of the Home Office's internal review into the nature, scale and origin of the funding of Islamist extremist activity in the UK, including any overseas sources. I refer the noble Lord to Written Statement HCWS39. We work closely with Saudi Arabia to combat terrorism in all its manifestations, including countering violent extremism and terrorist financing. The Saudi Government's national strategy includes a number of important initiatives to counter extremism.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mark, in 2018, the 70thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In 2018, as in previous years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will organise coordinated activities across its network of overseas posts and in London to commemorate Human Rights Day (10th December), which marks the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).The Government strongly believes in the values enshrined in the UDHR and its continued relevance in global affairs.

Nabeel Rajab

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to thegovernment of Bahrain concerning the transfer of Nabeel Rajab from the Ministry of Interior Hospital to Jau Prison; whether that government has indicated to them why the transfer took place; and what assessment they have made of his treatment.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to closely monitor the case of Nabeel Rajab and have frequently raised it with the Bahraini Government at the highest levels. Where we have concerns we will continue to raise them at an appropriate level with the Government of Bahrain. We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodiesThe UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.

Nabeel Rajab

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date theylast raised concerns with the government of Bahrain over the case of Nabeel Rajab.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to closely monitor the case of Nabeel Rajab and have frequently raised it with the Bahraini Government at the highest levels. Where we have concerns we will continue to raise them at an appropriate level with the Government of Bahrain. The UK Government continues to emphasise the need to respect the rights of all citizens, including freedom of expression.

Commonwealth: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of Commonwealth countries that retain apostasy laws.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Her Majesty's Government remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief around the world. Criminalising apostasy runs contrary to this human right and we oppose it for that reason. We do not currently hold information on the number of Commonwealth countries that criminalise apostasy, but data collected by Pew Research Centre in 2014 found that 25 countries worldwide had some form of apostasy law or policy.We do not hold these details and it is difficult to obtain accurate data. We will speak with our non-governmental organisations to see if they hold information

Commonwealth: Blasphemy

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of Commonwealth countries that retain some form of blasphemy law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Her Majesty's Government remains firmly committed to the protection and promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief around the world. Criminalising blasphemy runs contrary to that human right and we oppose it for that reason. We do not currently hold information on the number of Commonwealth countries that criminalise blasphemy, but a report published by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in July 2017 found that blasphemy laws were retained in 71 countries worldwide.We do not hold this information and accurate data is difficult to obtain. We will speak with our non-governmental organisations to see if they hold this information.

Commonwealth: Capital Punishment

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of Commonwealth countries that retain the death penalty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works closely with leading human rights organisations to promote abolition of the death penalty globally. 33 Commonwealth countries retain the death penalty. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and we make our opposition known at the highest levels in countries where it continues to be applied. On World Day Against the Death Penalty on 10 October, I issued a statement setting out the UK Government’s position that the use of the death penalty undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreparable.

Commonwealth: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their strategy for protecting freedom of religion or belief across the Commonwealth.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) remains a high priority for Her Majesty's Government. We work on this issue around the world, including in countries that are members of the Commonwealth.On International Religious Freedom Day (27 October), I wrote to all UK Ambassadors and High Commissioners encouraging them to make FoRB a priority in their human rights engagements and work in country. I also re-issued our revised "toolkit" which supports our diplomats working to protect and promote FoRB in locally appropriate ways. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also continues to provide training and seminars to increase religious literacy amongst staff.Ministers and officials also speak out publicly in support of Freedom of Religion or Belief. For example, during my visit to Bangladesh in August 2017, I visited the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Dhaka and made a public call for religious tolerance.The UK Government also continues to support a number of projects which promote Freedom of Religion or Belief through the FCO's Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Examples include a project to support a network of human rights defenders in South Asia.In multilateral fora, the Government continues to work to sustain consensus on the adoption and implementation of two important resolutions: the European Union's Freedom of Religion or Belief resolution and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s resolution on Combating Religious Intolerance.In October 2017, I convened the first in a series of roundtable meetings on FoRB. These meetings will bring together faith leaders and civil society to discuss current challenges to FoRB internationally, and how we can collaborate to strengthen our response to these.

Commonwealth: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of funds currently allocated under the Magna Carta Fund aim to protect or strengthen freedom of religion or belief across the Commonwealth.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: This financial year 2% (£207,946) of the overall Magna Carta Fund has been allocated to protecting or strengthening freedom of religion or belief across the Commonwealth. All of these projects are regional and therefore include Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries.

Elephants: Conservation

lord hague of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further supporttheyintend tooffer members of the Elephant Protection Initiative to succeed in protecting their wildlife.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK Government has supported the work of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) since its launch at the 2014 Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference in London, including providing approximately £1.2 million funding through Stop Ivory. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific and the Minister for Africa both recently met Helen Clarke, co-chair of the new EPI Consultative Group, to discuss Her Majesty's Government's support for the next phase of the EPIs work and in developing plans for the 2018 London IWT Conference. The UK Government also supports countries, including EPI members, to tackle poaching and the illegal ivory trade through the Global Environment Facility which is providing $131 million (£97 million) over seven years from 2015 to the Global Wildlife Programme. Our overseas network has supported EPI events in a number of member states and we are happy to continue this support.

Darfur: Military Bases

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any bases previously occupied and managed by the hybrid United Nations–African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur in Sudan have been transferred to the control of the Rapid Support Forces militia in the region; and if not, whether there are any plans to do so in the future.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As part of the Status of Forces Agreement, United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) bases are being handed over to the Government of Sudan. The UK is in regular contact with UNAMID and is monitoring the reconfiguration of the Mission closely. During the Strategic Dialogue on 16 October, we impressed upon the Government of Sudan that, as they move into the security space in Darfur, it is vital that they provide safety for civilians in a manner that is compliant with both international humanitarian and human rights law.

Penguins: Antarctic

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the World Wildlife Fund's proposal for a new protected area for waters off East Antarctica, following this year's breeding failure in the colony of Adelie penguins in East Antarctic.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is a co-proponent of a proposal to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the East Antarctic, which has been submitted by the Australia and the European Union and its Member States to the annual meetings of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) since 2010. The UK is convinced of the need for a system of MPA to be established around Antarctica to underpin protection of the unique habitats and the resilience of the ecosystem to adapt to climate change. Following the designation of the first, UK-led, Marine Protected Area in CCAMLR waters in 2009, the UK has consistently supported the designation of an MPA in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica, which was finally agreed in CCAMLR in 2016, and is continuing to work with other CCAMLR Members to secure agreement to the East Antarctica MPA proposal as soon as possible.

Attorney General

Out-of-school Education: Prosecutions

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidelines they have issued to Crown Prosecutors on the prosecution of persons for operating unregistered schools.

lord keen of elie: The Crown Prosecution Service has issued legal guidance for Crown Prosecutors on prosecuting criminal offences relating to unregistered schools under sections 96 and 97 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. CPS guidance is publicly available via the CPS website and can be accessed at: www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/education/

Department for International Development

Military Aid

lord burnett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what payments were made from the Department for International Development (DfID) to the Ministry of Defence (MoD)in (1) 2014–15, (2) 2015–16, and (3) 2016–17, to reimburse the MoD for any costs incurred when fulfilling any DfID-related tasks or roles, or any other humanitarian operations.

lord bates: The Department for International Development (DfID) reimbursed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) the following amounts for DFID-related tasks and roles and humanitarian operations in the years specified. 2014/2015 £32,349,060.35 (including £28,822,177 in relation to the Ebola crisis)2015/2016 £8,843,540.062016/2017 £3,676,517.66

Department for Education

Training: Finance

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they have determined the level of funding available to existing training providers from non-levy apprenticeship funds; whether there is a cap on such funding for individual training providers; if so, how that cap is determined; whether (1) the level of funding available, and (2) the cap, have been changed from previously announced plans; and if so, how.

lord agnew of oulton: Providers of services to employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy are funded through existing contract extensions, covering the period from May to December 2017.The overall level of funding for new apprenticeship starts made available during this period was based on forecasts of demand. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) determined individual providers’ allocation on their historical delivery to all employers and an estimate of the proportion of that delivery which related to non-levy paying employers.The ESFA set a minimum threshold allocation value of £3,000. There is no cap for individual training providers. However, public contracting regulations set a limit on the value of an individual providers’ contract extension relative to the value of their original contract.In July and October, there were opportunities for providers to bid for additional funding above their non-levy allocations to take account of growth in demand.

Apprentices: Disability

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of people with (1) learning difficulties, and (2) other disabilities, taking part in apprenticeships.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government is implementing reforms to English apprenticeships to raise their quality and ensure they are accessible to all, including people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We already have a comprehensive set of financial provisions to assist employers and training providers in meeting the needs of disabled apprentices. Where an apprentice has an Education Health and Care Plan, £2,000 in total is available for the training provider and the employer, who receive £1,000 each. Apprentices and their employers can also apply for Access to Work funding to support the apprentice’s employment. Furthermore, training providers can claim up to £150 a month, and more in exceptional circumstances, to help with the costs of making adjustments to support apprentices with SEND. This is in addition to the £1,000 stated above.We are implementing the Maynard Taskforce recommendations to improve access to apprenticeships for those with SEND. Recently, the rules for English and maths requirements were updated to provide more flexibility for apprentices with SEND and who hold an Education Health and Care plan or equivalent. For the first time, British Sign Language (BSL) is now also an alternative to English Functional Skills for those who use BSL as their first language. These changes will allow more people to benefit from the opportunities available through apprenticeships and work. Additionally, the Government is supporting employers with apprentices who have SEND by developing new communications and guidance products. This includes our Employer Toolkit which can be found at: http://www.employer-toolkit.org.uk/.

Digital Technology: Adult Education

baroness rebuck: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support UNESCO’s work in discovering what kind of literacy skills people need to navigate a digitally-mediated society; and what actions they plan to take in the UK to explore and fund effective adult literacy policies and programmes which leverage the opportunities that the digital world provides.

lord agnew of oulton: We welcome the work that UNESCO is doing on digital literacy to highlight some of the challenges and opportunities that the digital world presents.The Government supports adults in England to develop the basic English and digital expertise they need for employment and everyday life. We provide funding for adults to access a range of literacy training up to English GCSE and equivalent qualifications, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses.Provisional Further Education and Skills data shows that in 2016/17 the Government funded the participation of 536,700 adults in English courses and 114,400 adults in ESOL courses. We are also introducing a similar right to funding for specified Information and Communication Technology courses.

Digital Technology: Adult Education

baroness rebuck: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of how many adults in the UK lack basic digital skills, and of that number, how many are functionally illiterate; and what plans they have to ensure that such people do not end up marginalised.

lord agnew of oulton: The Skills for Life Survey in 2011, assessed the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills of adults aged 16-64 in England using four competencies: word processing; emailing; spreadsheets; and a multiple-choice assessment of other ICT skills such as internet use (see table attached). The survey results demonstrated a broad correlation between the respondents’ performance in the ICT and in the literacy tests. The Government is supporting adults in England to develop their basic digital skills for the workplace and in everyday life. We are introducing a new entitlement to fully-funded training in digital skills, which will mirror the current approach for improving literacy and numeracy.  The Department also funds the Future Digital Inclusion programme that aims to help one million adults gain basic digital skills by 2019. A majority of these adults are educated below Level 2, unemployed, in a low-income household, in receipt of means-tested benefits, or living in social or sheltered housing.



HL2819 attachment
(PDF Document, 28.51 KB)

Professions: Social Mobility

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to increase access to positions in elite professional sectors by young people who attend maintained schools.

lord agnew of oulton: This Government wants to increase social mobility to ensure all young people have the opportunity to access positions in elite professional sectors. To achieve this, we are encouraging social mobility throughout the entire education system.The Government is improving standards for all schools, including maintained schools. In 2016, we introduced reforms to primary assessment to help pupils achieve the basics in English reading, English writing and maths. In 2017, based on provisional data, 61% of pupils achieved the new more rigorous standard in English reading, English writing and maths. This is an increase of 8% on the 2016 results. At secondary schools, we are reforming GCSEs to ensure pupils sit qualifications that will enable them to successfully go onto further study or employment. Our new GCSEs will be introduced over the next few years and will provide a more challenging assessment for students. As a part of this new assessment, pupils in 2017 sat GCSEs that were graded 1-9 in English language, English literature and maths for the first time. The Government wants to identify and support schools that are not meeting our expectations, either by way of the floor standard or coasting definition. Regional School Commissioners work closely with schools to ensure they receive the support they need to help their pupils achieve. We have seen the highest number of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering the most selective universities and higher education institutions. The Government though is keen to improve the prospects for young people even further. The Director for Fair Access has agreed access agreements for 2018/19, with plans for universities to spend more than £860 million on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds. This is an increase from £404 million in 2009. In addition, the Higher Education and Research Act includes a transparency duty requiring all universities to publish applications, offers, acceptance and retention rates broken down by gender, ethnicity and social economic background. This will provide greater accountability for judging the success of universities in offering access to students from all backgrounds.Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are also widening access to professions, giving young people an alternative to attending university.Ultimately, it is essential that young people in all schools are offered quality careers advice and guidance. The Government is taking steps to improve access for young people by investing over £70m this year. The Government will be publishing a careers strategy shortly that will build on the best international evidence to improve the quality and coverage of careers guidance.

Intercountry Adoption

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific provision is available from their resources, and local government resources, for children of school age adopted from abroad but at school in England; and in which respects that provision differs from the provision for adopted children who were born in the UK.

lord agnew of oulton: Previously looked after children adopted in England retain the educational entitlements they had when they were looked after. The entitlements are: a free early education place from the age of two, the early years’ pupil premium, the pupil premium plus and priority admission to school. Children adopted from abroad are not currently eligible for these entitlements. However, the government is currently considering the entitlements of children adopted from care outside England. From April 2018, previously looked after children adopted from care in England and those adopted from an equivalent form of care outside of England will have access to support and advice from their local council’s Virtual School Head and from their school’s designated teacher for looked after children.

Department for Work and Pensions

Industrial Health and Safety

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of health and safety legislation that is currently in force.

baroness buscombe: Professor Löfstedt’s Reclaiming Health and Safety for All: An independent review of health and safety legislation (2011) found that the framework for health and safety law was broadly right, but recommended simplifying its structure and the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) guidance to help business comply more easily. The Government’s response to the Review was published in March 2015: ‘A final report on implementation of health and safety reforms’. A copy of the report is attached.



Response to Review
(PDF Document, 166.92 KB)

Shops: Wheelchairs

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the study conducted by DisabledGo and the Department for Work and Pensions in 2014, what is their current estimate of the number or proportion of shops with wheelchair access; and whether they intend to conduct a further study.

baroness buscombe: There are no plans to conduct a further study with DisabledGo at this time and DCLG have no current data on the number of accessible shops. Earlier this year the Minister for Disabled People appointed a number of Sector Champions to help tackle the issues disabled people face as consumers. The champions represent a range of different sectors and businesses, including retail (Helen Drury) and tourism (Chris Veitch). The Champions are using their influential status as leaders to drive improvements to the accessibility and quality of services and facilities for disabled people. On 27 November the Minister will be hosting a round table with the Retail Sector Champion and leaders of large retail companies to discuss accessibility in the retail industry.

Social Security Benefits

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byBaroness Buscombe on 30 October (HL Deb, cols 1156–7), what assessment they have made of the impact of the freeze on working-age benefits on incentivising claimants into work.

baroness buscombe: The Government’s assessment of the impact of the benefit freeze is set out in the analysis of the measures in the Welfare Reform and Work Act published at the time of the Summer Budget 2015. As I said in my response to the Noble Baroness’ question on 30 October, the benefit freeze is part of a package of welfare reforms designed to incentivise claimants into work. These include introducing the National Living Wage, increasing the tax-free personal allowance, providing 30 hours of free childcare to working families in England and rolling out of Universal Credit. Analysis published by the department in September 2017 showed that UC claimants are four percentage points more likely to have been in work at any point within six months of starting their claim than the matched sample of JSA claimants (63 per cent to 59 per cent). The employment rate now stands at a near record high and the number of children living in workless households has fallen to a record low.



UC Employment Impact Analysis
(PDF Document, 161.66 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Exports: Packaging

lord macpherson of earl's court: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey haveto enable British exporters to conform with wooden packing requirements under ISPM15 following the UK's departure from the EU.

lord gardiner of kimble: The precise nature of our future relationship with the EU is still to be determined and is the subject of negotiation. The Government is working to get the best deal for Britain and through our new relationship with the EU are aiming to achieve the freest possible trade in goods and services between the UK and the EU. Discussion on the sanitary and phyto-sanitary conditions that will be applicable to trade in animal and plant product will form part of these negotiations. Negotiations between the UK and the EU have so far been limited to the withdrawal arrangements.

Fisheries

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what bilateral discussions they have conducted with neighbouring countries interested in fishing in UK waters after Brexit; and how Parliament will be advised of progress in such discussions.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government maintains regular dialogue with neighbouring countries on marine and fisheries issues but have undertaken no formal negotiations on future access to UK waters. However, we have written to parties to the London Fisheries Convention to give notice of our intention to withdraw from that agreement. The Minister of State has also discussed the Voisinage Agreement with the Minister for Fisheries in the Irish Republic. We have committed to keep Parliament informed provided that doing so would not risk damaging our negotiating position.

Marine Conservation Zones: Goodwin Sands

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to designate the Goodwin Sands off the Kent Coast as a Marine Conservation Zone.

lord gardiner of kimble: Details of which sites we consider suitable to become Marine Conservation Zones will be announced in a consultation that will take place in the first half of 2018. Designation of sites will follow within 12 months of the launch of the consultation.

Bracken

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of open countryside in England that was covered by bracken in (1) 1987, (2) 1997, (3) 2007, and (4) 2017; and what assessment they have made of the reasons for any changes inthat coverage.

lord gardiner of kimble: The extent of bracken broad habitat in England is estimated as part of the Countryside Survey, which is a survey of land cover across the UK. The survey has been undertaken at intervals since 1978 and provides evidence about the extent and condition or ‘health’ of the UK’s countryside today. The most recent survey was conducted in 2007. Estimations for the extent of bracken broad habitat in England are available from 1990 onwards and are provided in the table below. Data is not available for all the years referenced in the question. Within the survey, bracken broad habitat is defined as area with 95-100% coverage with bracken plants. Between 1990 and 2007 there was no change in the overall extent of bracken.  Table: Estimated area (’000s ha) and percentage of land area of the Bracken Broad Habitat in England from 1990 to 2007. Source: Countryside Survey 2007.Year199019982007 (‘000 ha)% area of England (‘000 ha)% area of England (‘000 ha)% area of EnglandBracken930.7 109 0.891 0.7

Tree Planting

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage tree planting in areas that are prone to recurrent flooding.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government continues to fund and support research into the utility of trees in flood prevention, for example through the joint Defra/Environment Agency ‘Working with Natural Processes’ research programme, and the Forestry Commission’s Science and Innovation Strategy work. In July, Defra also announced the allocation of £15 million specifically for natural flood management projects. Several of the 58 projects undertaken within this programme include tree planting amongst their interventions. Flood risk management is one of the targeting criteria for woodland creation funded through the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Countryside Stewardship also supports the installation of leaky woody dams in new and existing woodland to aid flood mitigation. Additionally, Forest Research, the Forestry Commission’s research agency, is conducting a number of medium and long term projects on this topic, often in partnership with water regulators, universities and end users. These cover process, modelling, economic and mapping studies designed to quantify and demonstrate how woodland can contribute to flood risk management. One flagship project led by Forest Research is the ‘Slowing the Flow’ at Pickering study. This is evaluating how the integrated application of a range of land use and management measures can alleviate flooding, including woodland creation and the use of large woody structures.

Agriculture: Sustainable Development

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide to farmers and food growers on protecting water quality and the management of soil and nutrients.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency (EA) provides advice and guidance on pollution prevention to farmers and agricultural businesses to help them reduce the risk of causing environmental pollution and the costs of clean up. There are around 100,000 agricultural premises in England which can benefit from this guidance. This helps farmers become or remain compliant with regulations and the direct legislation which prohibits pollution. It is an offence under the Water Resources Act to cause pollution, so where serious or significant pollution does happen the EA will also take direct enforcement action. The EA bases its advice around a consistent set of integrated key actions which farmers can take to manage environmental impacts. These key advisory actions will help to improve and protect water quality through the management of soils and nutrients, secure water resources, adapt to a changing climate and reduce flood risk. Other specific advice includes information to help farmers control nutrient levels from organic fertiliser and manufactured fertiliser use, previously known as the Code of Good Agricultural Practice (CoGAP). Where appropriate the EA will also signpost farmers to other partners for specialist support as well as grants which may be available through programmes such as Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

Domestic Waste: Landfill

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the amount of household waste that ended up in landfill in each year since 1997 for which records are held.

lord gardiner of kimble: Information on the amount of all local authority waste for England sent to landfill is readily available through published statistics for 2000/01 to 2015/16 and is summarised in the table below. The majority of all local authority waste is household waste (typically around 85 per cent); information just for household waste is not readily available. YearTonnes of all local authority waste sent to landfill (thousand tonnes)% of all local authority LA waste managed2000/0122,03979%2001/0222,42178%2002/0322,06875%2003/0420,93672%2004/0519,82267%2005/0617,87362%2006/0716,89058%2007/0815,51354%2008/0913,78450%2009/1012,49047%2010/1111,39143%2011/129,56837%2012/138,51434%2013/147,93331%2014/156,36125%2015/165,13320%

Fisheries: Protection

lord lisvane: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 3 November (HL2523), when the assessment of sea-based patrol capability is expected to be completed.

lord gardiner of kimble: The assessment of the scale and volume of sea-based patrol capability required after we leave the EU is currently in its initial stages. We will be able to provide an update next year.

Home Office

Borders: EU Countries

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what technological innovations they have so far developed, or are developing, to deal with new post-Brexit demands for (1) the management of borders with EU Member States, and(2) customs and tariff arrangements with EU Member States.

baroness williams of trafford: Over the last two years, Border Force has invested £108m in new technology and capability and has committed a further £71m in 2017-18. New border systems will improve capabilities at all interception points. improving Border Force’s ability to manage demand and maintain and enhance security.Future customs controls required following EU exit will depend on the outcome of the negotiations. All options are being considered. In the unlikely event that an agreement with the EU is not reached, the Government will work to ensure that trade between the UK and the EU is as frictionless as possible. HMRC’s current Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system is due be replaced by the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). HMRC remains on target to deliver CDS by January 2019 and is actively managing delivery plans in partnership with stakeholders, including industry representatives.

European Migrant Smuggling Centre

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC); how much the EMSC has cost to operate in each year since its inception; and whether they intend to continue to work with, or otherwise support the work of, the EMSC following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

baroness williams of trafford: The intelligence exchange that the UK undertakes with the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) is a very important part of our efforts to tackle organised immigration crime in source, transit and destination countries. Europol funds the EMSC and the UK contributes indirectly through our contribution to the EU budget. The Government recently set out its proposals for an ambitious strategic agreement to support our future cooperation with the EU on security and law enforcement in “Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – a future partnership paper” published on 18 September and available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-law-enforcement-and-criminal-justice-a-future-partnership-paper.



Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – a
(PDF Document, 255.54 KB)

Offences against Children

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of sex grooming by organised gangs over the last 12 years; how many girls have suffered such grooming; and in which towns or areas of the UK.

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many successful prosecutions of members of sex grooming gangs there have been in the last 12 years; and in which towns or areas of the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: Data relating to prosecutions and convictions for group-based child sexual exploitation are not held. Prosecutions for these crimes relate to a range of different offences. There is no specific offence for organised child sexual exploitation. While we know that child sexual exploitation (CSE) happens in all parts of the country, we are continuing to build a national picture of offending. We have introduced new requirements for the police to record information relating to CSE, and have funded a network of police regional CSE coordinators and analysts, located in Regional Organised Crime Units. Alongside this, we have committed £7.5m of funding to the new Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to identify and generate high-quality evidence on the nature and scale of these crimes. In the year to December 2016 9,305 defendants were prosecuted for child sexual abuse-related offences (including imagery offences), a rise of 15% on the year to December 2015 (up from 8,470) and 6,763 were convicted, an increase of 15% on the number of convictions in 2015 (up from 5,879).

HM Treasury

Motor Vehicles: Taxation

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total annual revenue from taxation of motor vehicles; and what proportion of this is currently hypothecated for the Highways Agency.

lord bates: The latest year available for a combined total annual revenue from taxation of motor vehicles is 2014/15. The total revenue in this year was £37bn. Revenues from motoring taxes are used by the Exchequer to fund public services, and are currently not hypothecated for the Highways Agency. However, as announced at Summer Budget 2015, revenues from Vehicle Excise Duty in England will be hypothecated to a National Roads Fund from 2021.

Tobacco: EU Action

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK businesses of the implementation of the EU Commission proposals for a track and trace scheme for the tobacco market; and whether they support those proposals.

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK business of the proposal from the EU Commission for a European track and trace for the tobacco market; and what steps they are taking to protect UK interests.

lord bates: The illicit tobacco trade is a global problem, and the introduction of a track and trace system will be an important step forward in tackling this issue. The government is continuing to study the draft implementing legislation for Article 15 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive and is discussing the drafts with the Commission and other Member States. In considering the proposed EU regulations, the government is concerned to ensure they are proportionate, efficient, effective, can be implemented in the timescale set and keep burdens on legitimate business to a minimum while delivering the required objectives. The government is aware of some concerns raised by businesses affected and will continue to assess the impact of the legislation and the timetable for implementation as the drafts develop.

Tobacco: EU Law

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact on HM Treasury revenues of the prohibition on small tobacco packages imposed by the EU Tobacco Products Directive.

lord bates: In their December 2014 Economic and fiscal outlook the OBR revised the underlying downward trend in clearances of tobacco. This was to account for various factors including the expected effects of the Tobacco Products Directive. The 2016 Economic and fiscal outlook noted the effect on receipts from the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging was assumed to be captured by this downward trend in clearances. No financial impacts has been made separately of the impact of the prohibition on small tobacco packages.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the loss to the Exchequer resulting from the removal of the Alcohol Duty Escalator.

lord bates: The government ended the alcohol duty escalator for beer in 2013, and for cider, wine and spirits in 2014. The impact of ending the duty escalator on government revenues can be found in Table 2.1 of the Budget documents from 2013 and 2014, reproduced below. These are central estimates certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.  £ million2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192013: 1p off pint of beer and abolish escalator in 2014-15-170-215-210-205-205 2014: 1p off pint of beer and freeze cider duty -110-110-110-110-1102014: freeze spirits duty and abolish wine escalator -175-185-195-205-215

Cabinet Office

Cybercrime: Northern Ireland

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much, if any, of the £1.9 billion investment in cyber security announced on 1 November 2016, has been designated for allocation towards policing in Northern Ireland.

lord young of cookham: The £1.9bn investment in cyber security is subject to the Barnett formula. The Devolved Administrations prioritise their funding in line with internal cyber priorities. In addition, policing in Northern Ireland will benefit from many UK-wide capabilities, including the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Crime Unit within the National Crime Agency.

Industrial Health and Safety

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of procurement policies on improving health and safety at work.

lord young of cookham: The Crown Commercial Service’s Model Services Contract contains specific terms and conditions covering health and safety at work:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526358/Model_Services_Contract_v1.02.pdfWe do not measure the impact of these terms on improving health and safety at work as it would be difficult to attribute cause and effect with any degree of certainty.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any government departments and agencies have ongoing inquiries in respect of the 23June 2016referendum; and if so, which.

lord young of cookham: This information is not collected centrally.The Information Commissioner, who reports directly to Parliament, is carrying out a formal investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes. This will explore practices deployed during the EU referendum campaign.The Government also understands that the Electoral Commission, which reports directly to Parliament, is carrying out a number of investigations related to campaigning at the EU referendum.

Brexit

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new civil service posts have been created to date to deal with new functions and obligations arising from Brexit; what is the annual cost of those appointments; in which departmentsthose personnel are employed; and what specialist roles are being filled.

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU to the House of Lords EU Select Committee on 31 October, what estimate theyhave made of the annual cost of recruiting 8,000 new civil servants to deal with the changes and obligations that they anticipate will arise because of Brexit; which departments will require the new staff; and what specialist roles will be filled.

lord young of cookham: The whole of Government is preparing for the UK to make an orderly and successful exit from the European Union, and we are equipping ourselves with the right people and the right skills across Government to make this happen. Whilst workforce planning is primarily the responsibility of each department to determine based on their individual operational and policy requirements, the Civil Service constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s commitment to leave the EU and get the very best deal for the UK. Civil Service HR is working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to support departments, functions and professions in continuing to develop plans to address their emerging capacity and capability requirements.

Department for International Trade

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, and (3) 2017.

baroness fairhead: Government data on the value of exports does not differentiate sufficiently between military and non-military exports.However, the Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) of licences granted for military exports on GOV.UK. This data includes the value of exports licensed where this is known. Licensing data for 2015, 2016 and 2017 indicates the following values for military exports to Saudi Arabia:2015: £2,856,814,9522016: £680,288,4342017: £1,120,427,691 (January-June)The value of exports licensed each quarter is not necessarily a measure of actual exports shipped in a given period because licences are valid for between two and five years, and because exporters only declare values for a subsection of export licences (Standard Individual Export Licences). Additionally, some licences expire before they are fully used and in these circumstances exporters must apply for a new (duplicate) licence, which can result in a significant element of double counting in some reporting periods. Over the period 2015, 2016 and 2017 (January-June) at least £2.4 billion of the total value of militaryexports licensed (£4.6 billion) is attributable to double counting because of duplicate licences.

Department of Health

Mental Health Services

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of mental health crisis care units on reducing pressure on accident and emergency departments.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the impact of mental health crisis care units on reducing pressure on accident and emergency departments. The Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat made it clear that a wide range of agencies and services, including hospital emergency departments, should be involved in the development of local plans to ensure that people experiencing a mental health crisis have access to urgent and emergency care. We are making £247 million available to make sure that every emergency department has a liaison mental health team in place, and that by 2020 at least half of England’s acute hospitals will have these services available at a standard defined by the Royal College of Psychiatrists as ‘Core 24’, meaning that clinical support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. NHS England published guidance last year on Achieving Better Access to 24/7 Urgent and Emergency Mental Health Care, which sets out that liaison mental health teams will play a vital role in ensuring that people experiencing a mental health crisis will have access to appropriate care to meet their needs.

Dental Services

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the assessment of the new dental contract prototypes.

lord o'shaughnessy: The evaluation report on the first full year of prototyping is due to be published by the end of this year. Evaluation of the dental contract prototype scheme is led by Eric Rooney, Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, with an evidence and learning reference group, which includes external members.

Dental Services

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were (1) the total contracted Units of Dental Activity, and (2) the average value of a contracted Unit of Dental Activity per capita, in England in each year since the current dental contract was introduced in 2006.

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were (1) the total contracted Units of Dental Activity, and (2) the average value of a contracted Unit of Dental Activity per capita, in each region in England in each year since the current dental contract was introduced in 2006.

lord o'shaughnessy: The total contracted units of dental activity for England and by region can be found in the table, which is attached owing to the size of the data. We do not hold the average value of contracted unit of dental activity per capita in England or by region.



Units of Dental Activity for England
(Word Document, 15.61 KB)

Hepatitis: Drugs

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hepatitis C patients were treated using the new anti-viral drugs by NHS England in the year 2016–17; and what proportion remain free of the virus post-treatment.

lord o'shaughnessy: Based on data from National Health Service trusts, the NHS treated 9,440 of the planned 10,000 patients with new anti-viral drugs in 2016-17. Data on the proportion that remain virus free is still being analysed; this information should be available by the end of 2017 when the new hepatitis C registry being established by NHS England will be fully operational.

Hepatitis: Drugs

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of treatment with anti-viral drugs for each hepatitis C patient treated by NHS England in 2016–17.

lord o'shaughnessy: Hepatitis C medicines are subject to commercially confidential pricing agreements so it is not possible to disclose the cost for each patient treated. NHS England spent in excess of £200 million on direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C in 2016-17.

Hepatitis: Drugs

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hepatitis C patients NHS England intend to treat using the new anti-viral drugs in 2017–18.

lord o'shaughnessy: Treatment of 12,500 hepatitis C patients is planned in 2017/18.

Hepatitis: Drugs

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients diagnosed with hepatitis C remain to be treated with new anti-viral drugs; and when NHS England expect them all to have received such treatment.

lord o'shaughnessy: An estimated 160,000 people in England are thought to be living with chronic hepatitis C infection. The current number of people diagnosed and yet to access treatment is difficult to state with certainty. National surveys of people who inject drugs suggest that only about half are aware of their hepatitis C infection; this figure has remained relatively stable over the past decade. NHS England is planning a sustainable roll out of treatment which will complete the treatment of 71,000 individuals between 2015/16 and 2020/21.

Behaviour Disorders

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of their commitment made in July to provide £1.3 billion to expand mental health services, whether any of those funds will be used to support people with behavioural problems as well as those with psychiatric problems.

lord o'shaughnessy: Stepping forward to 2020/21: The mental health workforce plan for England, published in July, committed funds for the expansion of the mental health workforce across a range of clinical areas including Children and Young People’s services, Core Acute and Core Community services. These areas support service users with behavioural problems, as well as meeting needs for wider psychiatric support. A copy of the report is attached.



Stepping Forward to 2020/21
(PDF Document, 2.63 MB)

Social Services: Disability

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the social care needs of working-age disabled adults distinct from the care needs of people over the age of 65.

lord o'shaughnessy: We have not made an assessment of the distinct social care needs of working-age disabled adults as a group. Under the Care Act 2014, where an adult or carer appears to have care and support, or support needs, the local authority must carry out an assessment. It must then decide if the person has eligible needs by considering what needs they have, how these impact on their ability to achieve certain outcomes, and the impact on their wellbeing. Where a person is assessed as having eligible care and support, or support needs, these must be met by their local authority. The Government understands that there are specific challenges in relation to funding and quality of care for people of working age, and their carers. We will continue to carefully consider how best to support people of working age with care and support needs, alongside older people.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessyon 1 November (HL2357), why all the symptoms reported for one individual are not correlated and recorded as occurring in that individual in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency records, instead of being recorded as discrete symptom reports.

lord o'shaughnessy: When recording the details of an individual Yellow Card report, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency does assign all reported signs, symptoms and diagnoses to that individual case. Individual reports are evaluated in the context of all cumulative reports when reviewing safety.